Kaia and Me Organic Lingerie

Credit: Valerie Smith

bamboo clothing by local eco clothing line Kaia and Me

From scarves to leggings to lingerie, Vancouver label Kaia and Me kisses skin with the irresistible softness of bamboo cashmere

Kaia and Me is a local, organic clothing line that aims to bridge the body and soul together by using eco-conscious fabrics.

Beginning as a collection of scarves and leggings, Kaia and Me has expanded to include sleepwear, lingerie, shawls, t-shirts and yoga wear, all made with natural materials like cotton and bamboo.

Kaia and Me’s garments are designed to balance the chakras, choosing particular colours for their corresponding effects, such as marigold orange to enhance playfulness and flow of emotions. Versatile clothing designs include scarves that can be worn as tops and shawls that can be worn as dresses.

Kaia and Me’s boycut bamboo briefs.

The signature fabric that gives Kaia and Me’s clothing its cashmere-like softness is bamboo, a fibre crop considered by many to be a sustainable material due to its fast-growing nature, with some species of the plant growing up to four feet per day. Bamboo is biodegradable and thrives without fertilizers and chemicals because it contains a substance called bamboo-kun—an antimicrobial, anti-fungal substance that also prevents skin irritations and odour when worn.

Kaia and Me’s bamboo is grown in South Korea, processed into yarn in Turkey, knitted in California in a closed-loop process that recycles the majority of toxins before they’re flushed into the water system, and garments are produced here in Vancouver.

Kaia and Me designer Satie Shottha

Free bamboo underwear for DTES ladies from Kaia and Me designer Satie Shotta

Designer Satie Shottha will be giving away free underwear to the women of the DTES on November 23, 2010 at the Downtown Eastside Community Clinic to kick off the holiday season.

“I always wanted to help the community in some way. Last year I gave away scarves to a youth shelter, but this year I wanted to do it personally and spread awareness as well,” Satie says. “I used to give old clothes but everyone deserves new things.”

Michelle Kay is a citizen of the world. Aside from creative writing, she has an affinity for activism, concept art, film and choreography. Read one of Michelle’s short stories here.